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Side-by-side financial comparison of MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC (MSM) and nVent Electric plc (NVT). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

nVent Electric plc is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.1B vs $965.7M, roughly 1.1× MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC). nVent Electric plc runs the higher net margin — 11.1% vs 5.4%, a 5.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, nVent Electric plc posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (127.3% vs 4.0%). nVent Electric plc produced more free cash flow last quarter ($165.7M vs $7.4M). Over the past eight quarters, nVent Electric plc's revenue compounded faster (10.4% CAGR vs -3.4%).

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc (MSC), through its subsidiaries, primarily MSC Industrial Supply Co., is one of the largest industrial equipment distributors in the United States, distributing more than 1.5 million metalworking and other industrial products.

NVent Electric plc is an American-British multinational company providing electrical connection and enclosure products. The company designs, manufactures, markets, and services products used to connect, protect, and manage electrical systems in commercial, industrial, residential, infrastructure, and data center applications.

MSM vs NVT — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NVT
NVT
1.1× larger
NVT
$1.1B
$965.7M
MSM
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NVT
NVT
+123.3% gap
NVT
127.3%
4.0%
MSM
Higher net margin
NVT
NVT
5.8% more per $
NVT
11.1%
5.4%
MSM
More free cash flow
NVT
NVT
$158.3M more FCF
NVT
$165.7M
$7.4M
MSM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NVT
NVT
Annualised
NVT
10.4%
-3.4%
MSM

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Revenue
$965.7M
$1.1B
Net Profit
$51.8M
$118.8M
Gross Margin
40.7%
36.5%
Operating Margin
7.9%
15.4%
Net Margin
5.4%
11.1%
Revenue YoY
4.0%
127.3%
Net Profit YoY
11.1%
1010.3%
EPS (diluted)
$0.93
$0.74

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
$965.7M
$1.1B
Q3 25
$978.2M
$1.1B
Q2 25
$971.1M
$963.1M
Q1 25
$809.3M
Q4 24
$928.5M
$469.2M
Q3 24
$782.0M
Q2 24
$979.4M
$880.3M
Q1 24
$935.3M
$874.6M
Net Profit
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
$51.8M
$118.8M
Q3 25
$56.5M
$121.2M
Q2 25
$56.8M
$109.5M
Q1 25
$360.7M
Q4 24
$46.6M
$10.7M
Q3 24
$105.0M
Q2 24
$71.7M
$111.0M
Q1 24
$61.8M
$105.1M
Gross Margin
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
40.7%
36.5%
Q3 25
40.4%
37.4%
Q2 25
41.0%
38.6%
Q1 25
38.8%
Q4 24
40.7%
37.1%
Q3 24
39.8%
Q2 24
40.9%
41.8%
Q1 24
41.5%
40.6%
Operating Margin
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
7.9%
15.4%
Q3 25
8.6%
15.8%
Q2 25
8.5%
16.3%
Q1 25
16.1%
Q4 24
7.8%
14.3%
Q3 24
17.0%
Q2 24
10.9%
19.1%
Q1 24
9.7%
18.2%
Net Margin
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
5.4%
11.1%
Q3 25
5.8%
11.5%
Q2 25
5.9%
11.4%
Q1 25
44.6%
Q4 24
5.0%
2.3%
Q3 24
13.4%
Q2 24
7.3%
12.6%
Q1 24
6.6%
12.0%
EPS (diluted)
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
$0.93
$0.74
Q3 25
$1.02
$0.74
Q2 25
$1.02
$0.67
Q1 25
$2.16
Q4 24
$0.83
$0.07
Q3 24
$0.62
Q2 24
$1.27
$0.66
Q1 24
$1.10
$0.62

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$40.3M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$214.1M
$1.6B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.4B
$3.7B
Total Assets
$2.5B
$6.9B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.16×
0.42×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
$40.3M
Q3 25
$56.2M
Q2 25
$71.7M
Q1 25
Q4 24
$57.3M
Q3 24
Q2 24
$25.9M
Q1 24
$22.2M
Total Debt
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
$214.1M
$1.6B
Q3 25
$168.8M
$1.6B
Q2 25
$285.0M
$1.8B
Q1 25
$1.8B
Q4 24
$289.9M
$2.2B
Q3 24
$2.3B
Q2 24
$299.8M
$1.8B
Q1 24
$294.5M
$1.8B
Stockholders' Equity
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
$1.4B
$3.7B
Q3 25
$1.4B
$3.6B
Q2 25
$1.4B
$3.5B
Q1 25
$3.6B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$3.2B
Q3 24
$3.3B
Q2 24
$1.4B
$3.3B
Q1 24
$1.4B
$3.2B
Total Assets
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
$2.5B
$6.9B
Q3 25
$2.5B
$6.8B
Q2 25
$2.5B
$6.7B
Q1 25
$6.7B
Q4 24
$2.5B
$6.7B
Q3 24
$6.9B
Q2 24
$2.5B
$6.2B
Q1 24
$2.5B
$6.2B
Debt / Equity
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
0.16×
0.42×
Q3 25
0.12×
0.44×
Q2 25
0.21×
0.50×
Q1 25
0.49×
Q4 24
0.21×
0.67×
Q3 24
0.69×
Q2 24
0.21×
0.54×
Q1 24
0.21×
0.55×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$29.4M
$202.4M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$7.4M
$165.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
0.8%
15.5%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.3%
3.4%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.57×
1.70×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$371.9M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
$29.4M
$202.4M
Q3 25
$219.5M
Q2 25
$151.6M
$-16.9M
Q1 25
$60.2M
Q4 24
$101.9M
$224.6M
Q3 24
$197.7M
Q2 24
$143.5M
$130.8M
Q1 24
$78.7M
$90.0M
Free Cash Flow
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
$7.4M
$165.7M
Q3 25
$200.9M
Q2 25
$100.7M
$-33.8M
Q1 25
$39.1M
Q4 24
$81.7M
$198.1M
Q3 24
$184.8M
Q2 24
$114.0M
$112.3M
Q1 24
$53.4M
$73.9M
FCF Margin
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
0.8%
15.5%
Q3 25
19.1%
Q2 25
10.4%
-3.5%
Q1 25
4.8%
Q4 24
8.8%
42.2%
Q3 24
23.6%
Q2 24
11.6%
12.8%
Q1 24
5.7%
8.4%
Capex Intensity
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
2.3%
3.4%
Q3 25
1.8%
Q2 25
5.2%
1.8%
Q1 25
2.6%
Q4 24
2.2%
5.6%
Q3 24
1.6%
Q2 24
3.0%
2.1%
Q1 24
2.7%
1.8%
Cash Conversion
MSM
MSM
NVT
NVT
Q4 25
0.57×
1.70×
Q3 25
1.81×
Q2 25
2.67×
-0.15×
Q1 25
0.17×
Q4 24
2.18×
20.99×
Q3 24
1.88×
Q2 24
2.00×
1.18×
Q1 24
1.27×
0.86×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

MSM
MSM

Segment breakdown not available.

NVT
NVT

Industrial Sector$554.0M52%
Electricaland Fastening Solutions Segment$278.0M26%
Energy Sector$235.0M22%

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